By Cheah Zong Heng (24S06P), Isaac Chan (25A01B) and Nurul Iman Mohammed Rohan (25S03C)
Seated in the hallowed Victorian Concert Hall, a sense of formality and solemnity pervaded the atmosphere, perhaps weighed by the long history of the colonial-era architecture all around us. As friends, parents and schoolmates alike filled the rows and rows of seats, anticipation grew for the Raffles Chorale (Year 5-6) and Raffles Voices (Year 1-4) combined performance on 23 April.
Titled “An Ode to Spring”, the concert theme revolved around the concept of new beginnings and hope associated with the season. Audience members dressed for the occasion, donning flowery dresses and neat button-down shirts. Even those still wearing their school uniform, their spirits shone a vibrant light, illustrating their passion to show support for their performing friends.
“Even though I am a bit tired, I am excited to see the performance,” enthused Faith Yang (24S06P). She was looking forward to catching her friend, Clarice Ng (24S06P) perform live.
For Rebecca Moira Iskandar (25S03C), she was looking forward to enjoying the beauty of Chorale’s group vocals. “I’m expecting something harmonious and ethereal because (I know) their voices are like angels.”
Behind the stage, Chorale members were still hard at work rehearsing in order to prepare for their grand entrance.
“I am nervous,” admitted He Sifei (24S06B), the student conductor. After all, “An Ode to Spring” would be his first time conducting a concert, and although he had gone through multiple practice sessions and even attended a conducting workshop to prepare for this exact moment, the pressure to put on a good performance was mounting with each second. “But I still believe in the Chorale members.”
As the clock ticked towards 7.30 p.m, Victoria Concert Hall increasingly brimmed with audience members. Right on schedule, the lights dimmed.
The concert had begun.
Springing to Life
After the emcees set the stage for the upcoming performance, Mr Toh Ban Sheng, conductor of Raffles Voices and Raffles Chorale, strode onstage. A hush fell over the audience, with all eyes transfixed on him. Deafening silence rang through the hall; then right on cue, a mesmerising medley of voices burst to the fore.
After a rousing performance of “Let All Men Sing”, “Exultate Justi” and “Omnia Sol” by Raffles Voices, it was time for Chorale to take the stage in full bloom.
First up in Chorale’s repertoire was “Domine Convertere”, a song by Orlando di Lasso which was inspired by Christian theology and scripture. As they sang about rebirth and renewal, the haunting siren calls of the Sopranos were supported by the well-complemented harmonies from the Altos, Tenors and Basses.
Even though the entire song was in Latin, a language that is rarely ever used, the Chorale members masterfully executed the piece, evoking feelings of grief that characterises old endings, while simultaneously bringing light to hope for a better age.
Next up was “Locus Iste”, a piece by Anton Bruckner. Comparatively, it details an uplifting story depicting the annual celebration of dedication. Anton Bruckner had dedicated this piece to the Votivkapelle (votive chapel) at the New Cathedral in Linz, Austria, where he had been a cathedral organist. The low- and high- pitched voices of Chorale took turns having the spotlight, creating a “call-and-answer” effect as a testament to the elegant symmetry of the piece.
The third piece they performed was named “Dieu! qu’il la fait bon regarder!” by Claude Debussy teleported the audience to the Romantic period, which was a time in history marked by great social reform. In the piece, a lover expresses his adoration of his mistress who is revealed to be France itself, as Charles d’Orléans was imprisoned for 25 years in England and created this poem as an ode to his native country. Musically, this period is characterised by dramatic, unstructured and passionate writing, with great emphasis on emotion and imagination. Raffles Chorale painted a picture of budding sprouts and blossoming hope with the meticulous variations of dynamics in their voices.
As the performance now crescendoed to a climax, the fourth piece “Jubilate Deo Universa Terra” composed by Slovenian composer Tine Bec whisked the audience back to the modern day, with body percussion featuring throughout the piece like stomping and clapping.
AltThough it was composed merely five years ago, in 2019, the modern music melded with ancient Latin lyrics of long past perfectly, with text from the Vulgate translation of Psalm 66. The piece, which title translates to “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the Earth”, is a joyous proclamation of praise that added contemporary fire and energy to what otherwise looked like an antiquated prayer.
Here, words can do no justice to the heavenly beauty that was the combination of Chorale’s perfectly choreographed movements, the marvellous ostinatos of basses and tenors, and the resonant high notes of the Sopranos. Each and every aspect of the performance melded and gelled together to immerse the captivated, enamoured audience.
Voices Abloom
After another two pieces were performed by Raffles Voices, titled “Sounds of Nanyang” and “Ta Na Solbici”, student conductor Sifei took centre stage.
Chorale performed “Now is the Month of Maying”, a light-hearted piece by Thomas Morley on the playfulness of spring. The joyful homophony interspersed with a ‘fa-la-la’ chorus coupled with the catchy rhythm, the song was overflowing with unbridled optimism. At the end of the performance, thunderous applause rang throughout the hall for Sifei; the audience was evidently impressed by his immense talent.
From the mediaeval town of Europe, the performance now transported the audience to the cherry blossoms in Japan.
“Hana”, which roughly translates to ‘flower’ in Japanese, was a song composed by Ko Matsushita which depicts the tale of a blossoming flower. Painting an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity, the gentle vocals of Chorale soothed any remnants of worry and anxiety in the audience.
Next, the audience was brought to the tropical islands of the Philippines with the piece “Leron Leron Sinta” by Saunder Choi. Inspired by the coexistence of and contrast between the simplicity and richness of rural life, the catchy and joyous medley of sounds appeared simple on the surface of this piece.
Despite the seemingly effortless show they put on, Chorale outdid themselves (as usual), bringing the audience along on a journey to appreciate the little things in life.
Harmony of Spring
For the concert’s penultimate piece, Raffles Voices joined Raffles Chorale on stage for their combined performance. As both choirs stood shoulder to shoulder, the atmosphere grew slightly apprehensive.
Pulling off a performance with two different groups of people who do not usually practise together is a complex task to say the least. Additionally, this was the first time that Voices and Chorale were collaborating in a combined concert.
Fortunately, our worries were overblown. As the combined choir performed “Earth Song”, a tribute to music’s ability to serve as an oasis and refuge in times of crises, the voices of the choristers blended in unison, intertwining in harmony. Uplifting, enthralling but most importantly, hopeful, this moving performance certainly touched the hearts of its listeners.
Capping off the performance was “Mae-e”, which translates to ‘forward’ in Japanese. Though tinged with nostalgia and sadness, the piece conveyed a message of an unmistakable optimism: regardless of the pain and suffering of the past, in this new season of renewal, things will turn out all right.
As soon as the conductor cued the end of the finale, deafening applause echoed throughout the hall. Roars of “ENCORE!” now filled the hall, with audience members eagerly clamouring for more songs.
Luckily, Raffles Chorale came prepared. Mr Toh brought the concert to its full circle in his final piece “Why We Sing.” A fitting conclusion to the thrilling performance, this piece perfectly encapsulated the function of music—to serve as a universal bridge connecting diverse cultures and people together as one.
As their voices surged and soared in unison, the flawless rendition undoubtedly paid homage to the inexplicable beauty of music.
Curtain Call
As audience members filtered out of the concert hall (including our Deputy Principals Ms Ng Mei Sze and Mr Brian Lagman Ang who had graced the event), it was clear from the many smiles in the Concert Hall that the audience had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
“I felt so touched because it was music to my ears—literally! It makes me so happy and calm,” gushed Rebecca Moria Iskandar (25S03C).
Mrs Lim, a parent of a performer, was similarly impressed. “I think [my daughter] put in a lot of effort because she always closed the door to sing and she would go outside [of our home] to practise, and we could hear it. So she put in a lot of extra effort.”
These efforts have fortunately borne fruit as well.
“I think it was great! To see her perform well, I think it was really good,” Mrs Lim commented.
While the audience enjoyed the performance, the performers had also found the experience memorable.
“For the seniors, it is our last concert,” He Sifei (24S06B) explained. “There is also not much opportunity to sing in a concert hall like Victoria Concert Hall.” Clearly, the choristers held deep appreciation for the chance they had to perform. To perform with their friends, for their friends, was an unforgettable experience.
As the night wore on, well-wishers, families and friends alike gathered at the exit of the backstage area. Cheering exuberantly, they gifted flowers (someone even gifted a broccoli) to the departing performers. Photographs were taken, congratulations were exchanged, memories were made. That night was truly an ode to new beginnings and a celebration of what was past.
